Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
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A67406
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The resurrection asserted in a sermon preached to the University of Oxford on Easter-day, 1679 / by John Wallis ...
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Wallis, John, 1616-1703.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing W602; ESTC R18038
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24,852
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41
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preaching to Christian Auditories such as this it is not prudence to quit the Principles of Christianity and divert to those of Reason and Natural Light onely As if we were Preaching to Heathens not to Christians Much of our Religion depends on Revelation And though not Repugnant to Reason is yet much Above it and not discoverable by it without the Scriptures where those Revelations are recorded We do but too much gratify men of Atheistical and Unchristian Principles when to comply with their Cavills instead of Holding fast what is good we let go our Hold and dispute our Principles As if we were now Planting Christianity amongst Heathens and not Edifying a Christian Church 'T is true that in Building great care is to be taken that the Foundations be well lay'd otherwise the Building cannot be Firm. But there is a time whâ—n Leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and laying again the Foundation we are to go on to Perfection and Build upon the Foundation so layd Not like Children Who when for the time we ought to be Teachers have now need to be Taught what are the First Principles of the Oracles of God as having need of Milk not of strong Meat And When will this time be if after more than sixteen Hundred years possession we do yet admit the Foundations of Christianity for matter of Doubtfull Disputation If out of a needless scrupulosity to satisfy the Cavils of those who do not desire to be informed we be alwaies Digging at the Foundation upon pretence of Searching it We do thereby weaken rather than strengthen it And like the foolish Builder having layd the Foundation shall never be able to Finish it Ever Learning and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth The Being and Providence of God The Authority of the Scriptures his written Word The Divinity and Incarnation of Christ his Satisfaction for the Sins of Men and our Salvation by Faith in Him The necessity of Holyness and a Godly life The Immortality of the Soul and the Resurrection of the Body and the Judgement to comâ— A Heaven for the Righteous and a Hell for the Wicked Are Fundamentals in the Doctrine of Christianity well setled long agoe And if any go abouâ— to shake these Foundations we are not therefore in compliance with their humours to admit for Disputaâ—le what ever they please to Cavill at But to hold Fast the Truth to hold Fast the Form of sound Words as well settled and long since agreed upon And If any man list to be Contentious sayth the Apostle we have no such Custome nor the Churches of God If they demand New Miracles and New Revelations of what hath been sufficiently Revealed and confirmed already Our Savior tells us in the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Glutton They have Moses and the Prophets let them Hear Them And we have moreover Christ and his Apostles If they hear not These neither would they be Perswaded though one should Rise from the Dead Now if the Miracles and Revelations in the time Moses and the Prophets were sufficient for those who lived in the days of Christ notwithstanding that they lived not in Moses days much more may those also of Christ and his Apostles suffice for those that live in Our days And if a sufficient Evidence such as would be enough for a Sober person that is Willing to be Taught prevail not with them neither would they be perswaded though they should be gratifyed in what they now demand Our Saviour did not think fit to gratify the Humours of the Scribes and Pharises whensoever they listed to Ask a new sign But refers them to that of the Prophet Jonas Nor are Wee to be always casting our Perls before Swine But after a competent instruction they are to be Neglected as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned persons Who 's error lyes more in their Will than in their Understanding 'T was Because they did not Like to retain God in their Knowledge Rom. 1. that God gave them over to a Reprobate sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mind void of judgement And it was not so much because they could not Beleeve the Truth as because they did not Love it 2. Thes. 2 because they received not the Love of the trueth that they might be saved that God sent them strong Delusions to belâ—eve a Lye that they might be Damned Because they did not Love what they should Beleeve God left them to Beleeve what they Loved And because they did not Love those Trueths by which they be Saved he left them to Beleeve those Lyes by which they should be Damned In the last times we are told there shall come scoffers walking after their own Vngodly Lusts and therefore Mocking at the Promise of Christs coming Men of Corrupt minds and therefore Reprobate concerning the Faith Mockers and filthy Dreamers who therefore Beleeve not the Trueth because they take Pleasure in Vnrighteousness Who do not so much Doubt of it as Cavill at it to their own Destrction To those that are Contentious says the Apostle and Obey not the Truth to those who out of Contention or a spirit of Contradiction Cavill at the Truth sufficiently discovered Indignation and Wrath. And If our Gospell be Hid it is hid to those that are Lost. It may perhaps pass for a piece of Witt not of Wisdome amongst Debauched persons with whom Atheism and Ribaldry pass for Witt to be able to speak Plausibly against those things which the common sense of Man-kind admitts for True And 't is very Easy for any man that will allow himself to be Profane thus to be Witty But St. Paul gives it a truer Character Rom. 1. speaking of Wiser persons than these are Professing themselves to be Wise they became Fools 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while they pretend to be Witty they play the Fool. And 1 Tim. 6. reduceth it to its true cause Pride and Ignorance If any man consent not to wholsome Words and the Doctrine which is according to Godliness Hee is Proud or Foolish and â—noweth nothing Doting upon Questions and strife of words or idle Cavils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence come Railing and Perverse Disputings of men of Corrupt minds and dâ—stitute of the Trueth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blaspemies and â—dle Discourses as of Crack-brain'd men and void of Sense from whom Turn away Have nothing to do â—iâ—h them While we are taking pains to Satisfy such who Resolve not to be satisfyed we may sooner raise new Scruples in the minds of well-meaning persons than satisfy those who are Willfully ignorant Be not deceived saiâ—h our Apostle here Evil Communications corrupt good Manners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or as Dr. Hammond chooseth to render it good Dispositions Such corrupt Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are apt to seduce or work upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good Dispositions or well-meaning people Expounding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good-natured persons and easy to be imposed upon Like as in that other Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slow-bellies are usually interpreted as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gluttons We are not therefore to Hold Parly with them as Eve with the Serpent But rather as the Apostle directs they are to be Rebuked sharply that they may be sound in the Faith their Moâ—thes to be stopped that they subvert not whole Houses and that their Folly proceed no further A second thing that I here observe is this That the Promise of a glorious Resurrectâ—on concerns not Vs onely But the Fathers also before Christ. We are not to think that They had onely Promises of Temporal things but of Eternal also Christ is the First-fruits of those that Slept for the time past as well of those that were to sleep for the time to come 'T is true The Mystery which had been Hidden from Ages and Generations is now made Manifest to the Saints It is now more clearly Reveiled then before it was And Christ is the Mediator of a Better Covenant than that delivered by Moses established upon Better Promises Better as to the way of Administration and the clearness of Discovery but the same as to the Substance of the Things Promised Christ as to this is the same Yesterday and To day and for Ever 'T is the same Faith by which the Elders obtained a good Report and Enoch was Translated that he did not see Death By which We beleeve to the saving of our souls And St. Paul proves Rom. 4. that We are Justifyed by Faith Because Abraham and David were so Justified Nor was this unknow'n to the Jewish Church For though the Sadduces denyed the Resurrection Yet they were herein Singular The Pharisees Professed it with the rest of the Jews Search the Scriptures sayth Christ to the Jews for in them yee think to have Eternal Life And St Paul frequently from Moses and the Prophets and from the Promise made to the Fathers argues the Point of the Resurrection And our Saviour himself after his Resurrection first to the Two Disciples going to Emmans and then to the Eleven at Jerusalem doth from Moses and the Prâ—phets and the Psalmes and all the Scriptures make it Evident That thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to Rise from the Dead the third day and that Repentance and Remission of sins should be preaâ—hed in his name among all Nations And before that he proves to the Sadduces the Doctrine of the Resurrection from that of God to Moses I am the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob and that they did therefore Erre because they Knew not the Scriptures nor the Power of God Which he would not have sayd had not the Doctrine of the Resurrection been taught in the scriptures that then were that is those of the Old Testament So that the Socinians without allowing that Christ is God indeed if at lest they will but allow That he is a Good Man and a Wise man one who did understand the Consequence of an Argument and did not designe purposely to impose upon us must needs acknowledge That the Doctrine of the Resurrection was taught in the Scriptures of the Old Testament for sure it is that Christ thought so and That the Promises made to the Fathers were not onely Promises of Temporal things but of Eternal Life They may as well say That the Threatning to Adam In the day that thou Eatest thereof thou shalt Dy the Death was meant onely of a Temporal Death and then surely God would not Punish beyond what he Threatned Contrary to which St. Jude tells us that those Before Christ as well as since do suffer the vengeance of Eternal Fire The Third and last thing which I here observe is this That the Rewards and Punishments of another Life do concern us not onely as to our Personal capacities but as to our Relative and Politick capacities also As we are Incorporated into Kingdomes Cities Families and other Societies We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive according to the things done in the Body whether Good or Bad. Whatsoever is done in the Body in whatsoever Capacity It may be Objected That Kingdomes and Cities and Bodies Politick shal not in that Capacity rise againe And therefore cannot in that capacity be Punished or Rewarded And consequently God being equally obliged to punish the sins of Societies as of single Persons he is obliged in this World to punish the sins of Societies and to reward their good acts since that hereafter it cannot be done But this Argument I take to have more in it of Witt and Rhetorick than of Logick or sound Divinity and would do better in a Poem or Panegyrick than in a Sermon For by the same reason we may as well say That the sins of Father and Child of Master and servant of Husband and Wife must be Allways Punished in this Life and in this onely Because that in the Resurrection they do neither Marry nor are Given in Marriage For Oeconomical Relations shall then cease as well as Political If it be said That these Relations are but Relations between single Persons not Societies and therefore the Sins thereof may in those Persons be Punished I say that this doth not alter the case at all For beside that this is not Universal For a Father may have many Children and may sin against his whole Posterity to the Third and Fourth Generation and a Lord or Master may have many Servants and may Sin against his whole Family and a man may be Servant to a Society as well as to a single Person Beside this I say If this Exception were cogent we might thence as well conclude That Kings because single Persons may hereafter be punished for Oppressing their Subjects and that Eternally but the States in an Aristocrary are punishable onely in this World and but with Temporal Punishments because These are a Collective Body And it would hence follow likewise That the greatest Villanies of Societies are at lest one degree below that of the Papists Venial sins For I presume the Jesuites themselves will not say that their whole Societie shall in that capacity be punished in Hell not yet in Purgatory for the greatest Villanies by them committed as a Socieâ—y But Venial Sins they acknowledge to be punished at lest in Purgatory though not in Hell And by this means also the greatest number of Sins and those the most Hainous would as to another World remain Unpunished and good Actions Unrewarded For much the greater number of Actions and the most considerable are those of persons in their Relative Capacities